


A Late Payment

by orphan_account



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Childhood, Flashback, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-04
Updated: 2014-11-04
Packaged: 2018-02-24 02:43:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2565386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short flashback scene to what it was like for Felicity living with a mother who acted more as a child than an adult.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Late Payment

Felicity was scouring aimlessly on her new computer when she heard a loud bang sound from their living room. She tip-toed over to her bedroom door, peeking around the frame as she watched the scene in front of her.

"Just leave Rob. I’ll have the rent to you tomorrow—Friday, at the latest,” her mom said, exasperated. Felicity noticed a grim, tall man standing by the entrance to their apartment.

"I need it now, Donna. It’s already a week late," He said, irritated, "And you never even paid last months."

"Oh stop being such a downer. I’ll get you the money," Donna said lightly, with a smile, as though the problem at hand was nothing at all. Rob looked at her uncomfortably.

"I don’t want to have to do this…" He said looking around the apartment, spotting Felicity in the creak of the door, and gulped.

"If I don’t have the money by the end of the week, you have to get out," he said, much more quietly, but Felicity heard. She heard everything.

Rob left quickly, closing the door quickly behind him, and Felicity watched her mom plop down on their couch, slipping off her tall heels and pouring herself a drink.

"Felicity, baby, come on out! Let’s watch a movie together," Donna called, pulling a throw blanket over her small, revealing dress. Felicity came out, plastering on a smile and planting herself on the couch next to her mother.

"You wanna pick?" Donna asked, and Felicity shook her head, settling into her mother’s side as she flicked on some Hallmark movie.

Felicity drank Dr. Pepper while her mother drank Rum and Coke that smelled of more rum than coke, and Felicity listened as her mom talked on and on about her night waitressing. She told Felicity of all the crazy people, the suggestive men, the crazy atmosphere. She talked to Felicity as if she wasn’t only thirteen years old—but like she was her own age.

Felicity liked that, sometimes. But sometimes she wanted to come home to a nice meal that didn’t consist of stale cereal and popcorn. Or have a house where she didn’t have to worry about the electric bill. She wanted to be able to count on using the internet on her own house, instead of relying on the library when that bill was the one that didn’t get paid for the month. She knew people had those kind of lives—she’d seen it. People at school had pets, moms that made big thanksgiving dinners, and dads that mowed their ridiculously green lawns.

Felicity though, was used to this—she let her mom talk and talk through the movie, until her voice faded drearily and she slipped into sleep. Felicity calmly turned off the television, bringing their glasses to the kitchen and rinsing them out. She put a heavier blanket over her mom, tucking her into the couch, and making sure she was asleep before she grabbed her purse from her. She took two twenties—as much as she knew her mom would excuse missing upon her own carelessness—before going into her room. 

She took her desk chair, standing on it in front of her closet and reaching for the shoe box on the top shelf. Calmly, she grabbed a couple more large bills from the stack, slipping them all into an envelope and writing their apartment number in large letters on the front.

Felicity had been hoarding bills here and there from her mom as long as she could remember. Her mom had always been careless with money, so it never made her feel too bad, as she figured her mom would blow or lose half of the bills anyways. Felicity never used the money for herself though—she saved it for nights like those.

Making sure her mom was still asleep, Felicity quickly slipped out the apartment door, making her way down the hall to Rob’s room and slipping the envelope under his door before running quietly back to their own apartment and slipping the door shut.

Felicity kissed her mom lightly on the forehead, before she too, went to sleep a little more soundly. They had another month—and for that moment, it was all Felicity let herself focus on.


End file.
